US Navy reveals F/A-18 Super Hornet in retro Vandy-1 camouflage, but without Playboy bunny

The US Navy has repainted the F/A-18 Super Hornet deck fighter. It received a historic camouflage commemorating the Tomcat and Phantom test aircraft.

Here's What We Know

The camouflage is called Vandy-1. It was used on the VX-4 squadron aircraft. The glossy black colouring featured a white Playboy rabbit on the rear wing. It was first used on the F-4 (pictured below).

Eventually the rabbit had to be removed for political correctness reasons. Later, the Navy abandoned the camouflage as well. Years later, however, it was decided to revive the Vandy-1, but without the Playboy logo.

The historic camouflage was applied to the fourth-generation F/A-18 Super Hornet deck fighter. Presumably, this was done to commemorate the 30th anniversary of the unification of the VX-4, VX-5 and VX-9 squadrons.

Now let's go back in time again. Rabbit images on the F-4s have been in use since 1969. Later, the Playboy logo appeared on the SR-71 Rapid Bunny. In 1994, pilots moved to the F-14D Tomcat (pictured above). The fighter retained its glossy black camouflage, but without the white rabbit. A vampire with XF lettering took its place. Since 2004, when the F-14D was decommissioned, the idea of applying black camouflage also went away.

Source: The Drive